Astronauts on ISS capture giant red 'sprite' lighting up storm over Earth – See image here

Sprites are TLEs or Transient Luminous Events, that happen above the clouds and are triggered by intense electrical activity in the thunderstorms below. (Image: @Astro_Ayers/X)

A flash of red light danced above Earth’s clouds, catching the eye of a passing astronaut. From her window aboard the International Space Station, Nichole “Vapour” Ayers snapped an image that is now stirring scientific excitement.

A Striking Sight from Orbit
While orbiting 400 kilometres above Earth, Ayers witnessed an unusual phenomenon. A vibrant sprite—a type of Transient Luminous Event (TLE)—appeared above a thunderstorm, glowing red and branching into the upper atmosphere. The event occurred high above stormy clouds over Mexico and the United States, lighting up the skies as cities glowed below.

Sprites are rare bursts of light triggered by lightning. They take shape around 80 kilometres above Earth and remain one of the least understood atmospheric events. Ayers shared the image on X, explaining how her vantage point helps researchers explore their mysterious behaviour. “We have a great view above the clouds,” she wrote, noting that such images help scientists learn more about how TLEs connect to thunderstorms.

Just. Wow. As we went over Mexico and the U.S. this morning, I caught this sprite.

Sprites are TLEs or Transient Luminous Events, that happen above the clouds and are triggered by intense electrical activity in the thunderstorms below. We have a great view above the clouds, so… pic.twitter.com/dCqIrn3vrA

— Nichole “Vapor” Ayers (@Astro_Ayers) July 3, 2025

Citizen Science Meets Space Photography
NASA is currently expanding its “Spritacular” citizen science project, which collects public photos of sprites and other TLEs. These images help scientists piece together how these flashes form and evolve. Now, thanks to astronauts like Ayers, the project has a new set of eyes—watching from space.

Many crew members aboard the space station have taken to photography during their missions. Their images offer rare, high-altitude views that complement observations from the ground. Each sprite caught from orbit brings researchers closer to solving their mysteries.

Questions Still Linger
Despite growing interest, scientists still don’t fully understand sprites. The forces that shape their size, colour, and structure remain unclear.

Some researchers believe sprites play a role in the upper atmosphere’s electrical balance. But without more data, their true nature is still out of reach.

For now, every new image—whether from Earth or orbit—adds another clue. Thanks to Ayers and others, the skies may soon begin to share more of their secrets.